Demand For Ethylene Glycol And Ethylene Oxide to grow by 6.5-7% pa

19-Apr-07

Demand For Ethylene Glycol And Ethylene Oxide is predicted to grow by 6.5-7% pa, growing primarily due to robust demand from Asian countries, as per UK-based market research firm Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd. Asian countries will be primarily responsible for the growth in demand for ethylene glycol (EG) and ethylene oxide (EO) in the coming 3 years. The share of Asian market demand for EG may rise from 50% to nearly 70%, with China being the main consumer. Annual capacity growth rate constitutes just 2.6%, which will result in the necessity to launch new facilities. America with 27% of EG production capacity is considered to be a major producer of this chemical Ethylene glycols are used in the manufacture of polyester fibre, polymers like PET, polyester film, as intermediate for low freezing dynamite manufacture, in finishing of cellophane films, leather, paper and fibres, in manufacture of resins and plastics, as hydraulic fluids, engine coolants, electrolytic condensers and in manufacture of many more derivatives as down stream products. In the countries with a highly developed automotive industry (USA, Western Europe), the leading position in the EG consumption structure is held by the manufacture of anti-freezes. In the countries where textile industry, especially synthetic fibre production, received special prominence, the leading position in the EG consumption structure is occupied by the manufacture of polyester fibre. Such countries include Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico. Ethylene oxide gas kills bacteria and fungi, and can therefore be used to sterilize substances that would be damaged by sterilizing techniques such as pasteurization that rely on heat. Most ethylene oxide (about 60%), however, is used as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals. The major use of ethylene oxide is in the production of ethylene glycol. Ethylene oxide itself can be polymerized to form polyethylene glycol or polyethylene oxide, which are useful as non-toxic, water-soluble polymers. Ethylene oxide is also important in the manufacture of surfactants and other detergents, in a process called ethoxylation.